Cartop carrying case



July 29, 1969 E. c. WALLACE CARTOP CARRYING CASE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 22, 1967 INVENTOR E L QWA was:

Pmzszwevg July 29, 1969 E. c. WALLACE 3,458,094

CARTOP CARRYING CASE Filed Dec. 22, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. Emu. Q.WAL1PC Mala-n) #T/Lam LrT'I'SEuEQ3 July 29, 1969 medDec. 22'. 1967 E. C- WALLACE CARTOP CARRYING CASE 3 Shepts-Sheet 5 FIG 5INVENT OR.

Elm. CWAL AQE emazmws' United States Patent ice 3,458,094 CARTOPCARRYING CASE Earl C. Wallace, Andrews, Ind., assignor to GeneralEngineering & Manufacturing Corporation, Andrews, Ind., a corporation ofIndiana Filed Dec. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 692,914 Int. Cl. B60r 9/04, 11/00US. Cl. 22442.01 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cartop carryingcase which may be readily opened from a closed position to provideaccess to the entire interior of the case and simultaneously convertingthe same to a support for a mattress or a sleeping bag for campingpurposes.

Background of the invention Field of the inventi0n.-The inventionpertains to carrying cases or containers and more particularly to avehicle roof supported case which may be opened to provide ahorizontally extending support surface.

Description of the prior urn-Containers for mounting on vehicle roofshave heretofore been made in a variety of designs. For each design,special features were required to convert such containers into a flatsupporting surface which could be used as a support for a mattress orsleeping bag for camping purposes. These features were of variousdegrees of complexity and various costs. Heretofore, it has not beenpossible to readily convert a vehicle roof top supported container intoa flat supporting surface without the employment of undue complexities.

Summary The invention provides a cartop carrying container comprising ahorizontally disposed bottom panel; a pair of upstanding side wallsextending upwardly from two opposed edge portions of the bottom panel;first and second top closure members; hinge means for pivotally mountingthe first top closure member to one of the respective ends of the sidewalls and for pivotally mounting the second top closure member to theopposite respective ends of the side walls whereby the first and secondtop closure members may be pivoted from a closed superposed positionover the bottom panel to an openposition over the bottom panel to anopen position forming oppositely extending extensions of the bottompanel; and first and second end closure members pivotally mounted to thetop closure members respectively for closing engagement with the bottompanel and the side walls when the first and second top closure membersare in a closed position.

It is an object of the invention to produce a carrying case, fabricatedfrom light weight material, which is rigid in construction and compactin over-all dimensions.

Another object of the invention is to produce a carrying case which maybe transported on any standard or compact passenger car or van, and maybe readily opened to provide a support for a mattress or sleeping bag.

A further object of the invention is to produce a carrying case which isprovided with means to render the interior thereof water-tight when in aclosed position.

Still another object of the invention is to produce a carrying casewhich is readily and economically manufactured.

Brief description of the drawings Other objects and advantages of theinvention will become manifest to those skilled in the art from readingthe following detailed description of an embodiment of the inventionwhen considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of theinvention showing the carrying case thereof in a closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 showingthe carrying case in an open position;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the carrying case of theinvention in an open position with a tent structure connected thereto inset-up condition.

Description of a preferred embodiment Referring to FIGURES 1-4 whereinlike reference numerals designate similar components, there isillustrated a case or container 10 which is adapted to be carried on thetop of a vehicle 12 by a pair of transversely extending horizontalsupport bars 14 having downwardly depending terminal portions 16provided with padded ends (not shown) for engagement with the roof ofthe vehicle 12. The support bars 14 are pulled down tightly so that theterminal portions 16 securely engage with the roof of the vehicle 12 bythe use of straps 18 secured to the terminal portions 16. Each of thestraps 18 is provided with a hook 20 hooked to the drip rail 22 of thevehicle 12 in a conventional manner.

The case or container 10 includes a horizontally disposed bottom panel24 affixed in supporting relation to the support bars 14. The bottompanel 24 is provided with a pair of upstanding side walls 26 and 28which extend upwardly from two opposite side edge portions of the panel24. To impart an adequate seal between the bottom panel 24, the sidewalls 26 and 28, and other components of the structure, the marginaledges are suitably contoured to form one portion of a seal. Moreparticularly, it will be noted that at least three of the marginal edgesof the side wall 28 are provided with a continuous rib-like beading 30.The side wall 26 is similarly contoured. As will become manifesthereinafter, the heading 30 cooperates to form an adequate seal and alsoimparts rigidity to the structure when the components are molded from arelatively thin walled plastic material, such as, for example, polyvinylchloride. Other resinous plastic materials may also be utilized forforming the structure of the invention.

The container 10 further includes a pair of cooperating top closuremembers 32 and 34. Hinge means 36 are employed to pivotally interconnectthe top closure 32 with the ends of the side walls 26 and 28. Similarhinge means 38 are employed to pivotally interconnect the top closure 34to the opposite ends of the side Walls 26 and 28. The marginal edges ofthe top closure member 32 and 34 are formed with a continuous rib-likebeading 40 and 42, respeotively. When the container or case 10 is in aclosed position as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the beading 40 of the topclosure 32 overlaps the beading 42 of the top closure 34 to provide atight seal therebetween to militate against the seepage of watertherethrough while being transported from place to place or duringstorage.

It will also be noted that those portions of the beading 40 and 42 ofthe top closures 32 and 34, respectively which are most adjacent thebeading 30 on the side walls 26 and 28 cooperate to form a sealingrelation between the top closures 32 and 34 and the side walls 26 and 28of the bottom panel 24. The top closure members 32 and 34 are maintainedin a closed position by a pair of suitably disposed latch members 44.

The opposite ends of the assemblage thus far described are closed by endclosures 46 and 48. The end closure 46 is hingedly secured to the topclosure 32 by means of a hinge 50 which may be typically in the form ofan elongate strip of a flexible material having opposite marginal edgessecured by means of rivets, for example, to the top closure 32 and theend closure 46, respectively. Similarly, a hinge 52 is employed tohingedly secure the end closure 48 to the top closure 34. The endclosure 46 is snapped into fixed closed position by having anindentation 54 formed on the under side thereof to cooperate with asimilar corresponding indentation 56 formed in the marginal edge of thebottom panel 24, as clearly illustrated in FIGURE 4. The indentations 54and 56 may extend the entire width of the respective elements or may beintermittently formed therealong.

FIGURE illustrates a possible use of the case or container forcontaining a mattress and an associated tent T which may be unfolded,removed from the interior of the case when it is in opened position, anderected as illustrated in the drawing.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I haveexplained the principle and mode of operation of my invention and haveillustrated and described what I now consider to represent its bestembodiment.

What I claim is:

1. A cartop carrying container comprising:

a horizontally disposed bottom panel;

a pair of upstanding side walls extending upwardly from two opposed edgeportions of said bottom panel;

first and second top closure members;

hinge means for pivotally mounting said first top closure member to oneof the respective ends of said side walls and for pivotally mountingsaid second top closure member to the opposite respective ends of saidside walls whereby said first and second top closure members may bepivoted from a closed superposed position over said bottom panel to anopen position forming oppositely extending extensions of said bottompanel; and first and second end closure members pivotally mounted tosaid top closure members respectively for closing engagement with saidbottom panel and said side walls when said first and second top closuremembers are in a closed position.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said top closure members areprovided with cooperating mating rib-like beading to provide a sealingrelation when said top closure members are in closed position.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said end closures and saidbottom panel are provided with cooperating detent means for releasablyretaining said closure members in closed position.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second endclosure members are pivotally mounted to respective ones of said topclosure members by hinge means.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said hinge means iscoextensive with its respective closure member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,138,307 6/1964 Priban.

FOREIGN PATENTS 139,511 3/1953 Sweden.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2204; 224-421

